History of Long Eaton

In Derbyshire Life there was an article all about the history of Long Eaton. I thought you may be interested.

'Recorded as ' Aitone' in the Domesday Book of 1086, the prefix 'Long' was added to its name in 1228 and was due, unsurprisingly, to the length of the settlement. Long Eaton is within the county of Derbyshire but lies close to the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire border with the majority of houses in the town designated to an NG postcode.

The parish of St Lawrence stands at the heart of the town and is believed to date back to the 11th century. In 1693 a blaze destroyed 14 houses and several outbuildings in the centre of the town in less than 2 hours. It subsequently became known as 'The Great Fire of Long Eaton'.

During the 19th century the construction of railway wagons was undertaken here and the town was a major centre for lace production. at its peak, a quarter of the population, some 4,000 people, were employed in the industry and records from 1907 detail some 1,400 lace making machines in operation at that time.

West park dates back to 1905 when 17 acres of land were purchased for just £2500. Over the next 44 years the park was expanded until it encompassed 127 acres in 1949, its present size.